NFL
By: Bill Carroll
The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023 is taking place in Saint Joseph, Missouri, population 72,473. The management of the team, plus an extra few hundred players, coaches, equipment staff, media members, media relations staff, medical staff, operations staff and training staff who have, it appears that the approved term is, have descended, but I prefer, benignly invaded, this bucolic area. Since we are nearing “Minority Report” status regarding everything being advertisement and/or monetized, The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023 is presented by Mosaic Life Care.
The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023: Offense
Patrick Lavon Mahomes II, is already widely regarded as not only the best quarterback in the NFL, but he is being mentioned among the greats of all-time. If he continues to improve, he could one day be the very best to play his position. The Chiefs also return a future hall of fame member, in tight end, Travis Michael Kelce. Much of the discussion surrounding the New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023 has been regarding which receiver joins Kelce as a trusted target for Mahomes.
The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023 was thought to be a coming out party for Kadarius Toney, who played seven games for Kansas City, post coming via a trade from the New York Giants, to the Kansas City Chiefs, October 27, 2022. In the trade, the Giants received a third and a sixth round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. In his games as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs he had 14 catches for 171 yards, for 12.2 yards per reception and two touchdowns. While Toney deals with a partially torn meniscus in his knee, that was surgically repaired on Tuesday the 25th, after he was injured returning a kick in a pre-practice session.
Rashee Rice The rookie wide receiver has distinguished himself in both 7 on 7s and 11-on-11 sessions. The SMU product has shown more ability to separate than some had expected, he was the 55th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Rice as well as the 54th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, second-year WR Skyy Moore, will both be given an opportunity to emerge, while Toney rehabilitates. Moore, had 22 catches for 250 yards as a rookie, last year, he now has has been synchronizing with the first-team offense.
Another training camp position battle that is being affected by injury, is the running back position. The Kansas City Chiefs starting running back, Isiah Pacheco, is currently festooned in a bright yellow jersey at practice, to make it obvious that he is not cleared for contact. He arrived at training camp, still dealing with healing from a pair of off-season surgeries. Kansas City’s explosive running back played in Super Bowl LVII with a broken hand and a torn labrum in his shoulder.
Deneric Prince has been able to show not only his 4.41 speed, but has also displayed exceptional hands and route-running, especially on Monday’s one-handed reception, while running a wheel route, during 11-on-11 sessions. He has shown that he can contribute in all phases of the offense. He is also picking up the protections.
Noah Gray, a third-year tight end, just may be the future heir-apparent to Kelce, at the position. He has looked comfortable, natural and the 24-year-old Gray caught 28 passes for 299 yards with a touchdown in 2022, but it is reasonable to assume that he will be trending upward this year, in the next two or three years he may be the team’s starting tight end.
The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023: Defense
On defense, the New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023, the roster is dramatically different with some of the the top pass-rushers, including ends Frank Clark and Carlos Dunlap, gone. The Chiefs signed free agent Charles Omenihu and drafted Felix Anudike-Uzomah in the first round, however neither one is a known quantity, as a professional, primary pass-rusher. They join George Karlaftis who is expected by some to break out as a top-tier pass-rusher.
Karlaftis also weighed in on the impact of Chris Jones‘ holdout:
“Obviously, his accolades and what he’s done speaks for itself. He was one of the best, if not the best defensive player last year. So, there’s a little bit of a void there, but we try to fill it as a collective. We have guys that have played a lot of ball and try to fill that void be all united.”
Not only did Jones lead the team in sacks with 15 1/2″ in 2022, but his presence and contributions as a leader go beyond his outstanding production.
The linebacker corps is a strength. They are athletic and young. The ‘old man’ of the group is Anthony ‘Drue’ Tranquill, the former Charger will turn 28, prior to the beginning of the season.
The secondary lost safety Juan Thornhill and the other player ost from the front was defensive tackle, Khalen Saunders, to the Browns and Saints, respectively. On offense Orlando Claude Brown Jr., Mecole Hardman Jr., John “JuJu” Smith-Shuster and Andrew Wylie shall all be missed, these were very good players, but not irreplaceable.
This week at, The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023, among the promising members of the secondary, Nazeeh Johnson, the hyper-athletic former practice squad member, gunner on special teams and cornerback/safety from Marshall, drafted by the Chiefs in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft. has been making himself known. One example was this play from Monday when he intercepted Mahomes.
Nazeeh said nope ❌@JohnsonNazeeh | #ChiefsCamp pic.twitter.com/y0t6taIjlG
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) July 24, 2023
If the Chiefs are to achieve that rarest of pinnacles, back to back Lombardi Trophies, many unproven players will need to prove their worth during The New Chiefs’ Training Camp 2023.
